1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus, and in particular to an ink jet recording apparatus provided with an ink container and a recording head separable from each other.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As an ink jet rccrding apparatus, there is known one having a recording head 10 and an ink container 12 mounted on a carriage 14, as shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings. The carriage 14 is fixed for reciprocal movement on shafts 16 and 18 and is movable along a platen 20.
The recording head 10 has an orifice in the side thereof which is adjacent to the platen 20, and a positioning protruded portion 22 is disposed on one end of the recording head. Further, a needle 24 forming an ink passage and a signal line connecting terminal 26 are disposed at the bottom of the recording head 10.
On the other hand, an aligning recess 28, a needle insertion portion 30 and a connector 32 are disposed on the upper portion of the ink container 12. When the protruded portion 22 of the recording head 10 is fitted into the recess 28, the needle 24 is inserted into the needle insertion portion 30 and the terminal 26 is mounted onto the connector 32. When the recording head 10 is mounted on the ink container 12, the ink in the ink container is supplied to an ink jet nozzle through the needle 24 and a print instruction to the ink jet nozzle is imparted to the ink jet nozzle through the connector 32 and the terminal 26. When a printing pattern signal is supplied to each injection nozzle, ink is discharged onto the paper on the platen 20 and thus, printing is accomplished.
As described above, in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the prior art, where the recording head 10 and the ink ccntainer 12 are removably constructed, the interchange of the recording head 10 can be accomplished easily. However, if the interchange of the recording head 10 is frequently effected, the needle insertion portion 30 may be damaged by the needle 24 and air may enter the ink container 12 through the needle insertion portion 30 to make the supply of the ink impossible or dust in the needle insertion portion 30 may mix in the needle 24 to clog the needle 24, and this has led to the occurrence of an inconvenience that the ink cannot be supplied to the ink jet nozzle.